First Place WinnerCHANGING OF THE GUARDUnexpected violence at the San Diego ZooWhen people found out I worked security at the world famous San Diego Zoo, they asked: “What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen?” It wasn’t …

Digging concurrence Unfortunately have to concur with most of the digs (“The internet writers gang up on San Diego,” Cover Stories, January 19). Born in MA, grew up in NC, have lived in LA (total …

No way with words Hold off giving to the incessant fund-raising of KPBS Public Radio 89.5 FM which has been interrupting scheduled programming for the last two weeks in its chronic bid for listener bucks …

November’s and December’s Vividly Colorful Sunsets and sunrises are no accident. This is the time of year when high cirrus clouds, often the precursors of storms, sweep through our area with some regularity. When cirrus …

Taking up the rear The people of Ocean Beach should start a petition to recall Todd Gloria (“Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach – open-air insane asylums?” Neighborhood News, September 2). I guarantee once the petition …

Chinese Flame Trees all over the San Diego region are displaying colorful clusters of orange, reddish, or salmon-pink seed pods. Good specimens line the south end of Balboa Drive in Balboa Park, and Lake Murray …

Dense Ground Fogs are a trademark of the onset of autumn along San Diego’s coastal strip. Fog materializes during the night and early morning hours when moist marine air that has settled in valleys and …

Dog and war story I love the Reader and I am so glad that it has continued to be a force during our unprecedented time. Thank you so much for that. Be sure and thank …

Needle sticks This letter is in response to Michael Quirk’s letter (“Paralyzing notion”, Letters, September 1). First of all, have you ever seen a viral video or product so popular that customers are breaking down …

Fall Officially Begins at 12:21 pm local time on Wednesday, September 22. Not just the beginning of pumpkin-spice flavored everything but also a good excuse to throw an evening party to celebrate the occasion. At …

The Time of Sunset changes most rapidly this time of the year. This is mainly because the sun is swinging rapidly south along the ecliptic (its apparent path through the background stars). From the latitude …

Surfside punch-out Some airhead, I guess it was a girl, Ella, is quoted as saying, “I cut off this guy once on a wave and he started calling me all these names.” (“Picking colleges based …

Chaparral, the tangled assortment of low-growing, drought-resistant, native shrubs covering most of San Diego County’s lower mountain slopes, has managed to remain fairly attractive this summer. Unlike many of the scrubby natives near the coast, …

Discriminating intelligence I am NOT going to take the Covid vaccine (“City expands outreach to vaccine-hesitant communities,” SD on the QT: Almost Factual News, June 18). There is no proof that it works. There seems …

Jasmine’s Thick, Sweet Odor wafts on the night breezes this time of year, especially throughout the older, well-landscaped neighborhoods of San Diego. The exotic odor is produced by the flowers of true jasmines (genus Jasminum), …

Thunderstorms have visited the Imperial Valley and parts of eastern San Diego County over the past several weeks. The seasonal arrival of moisture from the east and south, more or less typical for late summer, …

The Perseid Meteor Shower, the best known of the many meteor displays that return annually, will take place under optimum conditions this year because there’s no moonlight to interfere. Peak viewing nights are Wednesday, August …

Pathetically satirical Satire articles are pathetic attempt to copy The Onion (“Torrey Pines High School becomes all-white campus in effort to combat racism,” SD on the QT: Almost Factual News, July 30). It is confusing …

Towering Thunderheads have been seen hovering over the mountains east of San Diego in recent weeks. Afternoon rainshowers have already dampened Palomar, Cuyamaca, and Mount Laguna, with more of the same expected at times during …

BIPOC studies Being from California, you might think that aspects of Critical Race Theory are implemented in the public education curriculum, but that is not necessarily the case (“San Diego students required to take ethnic …

Birdwatchers need not despair now that the winter migrants are gone. Plenty of shore birds can be found on summer evenings in the natural coastal wetland areas of San Diego County. From south to north …

Foodie Heaven Great article Mr. Anderson. (“Best San Diego food in most hidden corners, Cover Stories,” July 14) We here in Coastal North County also have our share of unconventionally stationed eateries. Keep your foot …

Cumulonimbus Clouds, or thunderheads, are most likely to form over San Diego County’s deserts and mountains during the latter part of the summer season, beginning about late July. The clouds appear by midafternoon — often …

Paean for pans Accolades and praise for a well put together, researched article that was nicely delivered (“San Diego stupid,” Cover Stories, June 30). Unbelievable (almost) as to just how vacuous and STUPID some people …

July Is San Diego’s Driest Month, according to precipitation data compiled since the year 1850. Only four hundredths of an inch of rain falls on average this month, compared to almost two inches in January …

The Heat of Summer will most likely reach its feverish peak in inland San Diego County during the month of July. (Coastal San Diego is different: since its weather is greatly affected by the slowly …

Colorful Foliage along San Diego’s coastline lingers, despite the lack of rainfall and warmer, drier days. In the older, landscaped neighborhoods of Coronado, Point Loma, Pacific Beach, and La Jolla, you’ll find oleander and hibiscus …

Magnolia, the Southern U.S. native commonly planted as a decorative street tree in many of San Diego’s older neighborhoods, continues to bloom this month. Called the “queen of the flowering broadleaf evergreens,” its branches support …

Crape Myrtles are in bloom around San Diego this month through the end of summer. This smallish, vase-shaped tree blossoms in colors ranging from white or pale pink to lavender, red, and blue. Lilac of …

Ocean Water Temperatures are rising into the mid-60s this month, perhaps to reach the low 70s in August. The usual early-summer cool weather along San Diego's coastline, disappointing to many tourists, is mostly caused by …

June Gloom, the cool and intermittently overcast conditions likely to dominate the beach and coastal areas through the remainder of this month, mocks the already sizzling temperatures inland. If it weren’t for the ocean’s enormous …

Wildflowers of San Diego County’s highest mountains are in full bloom this week. Take a walk along any trail above 4500 feet in the Laguna, Cuyamaca, or Palomar Mountains and enjoy a palette of colors …

Rabbit and Rodent population is peaking in the canyons and hillsides of coastal San Diego County. In many neighborhoods, car headlights illuminate the rear ends of scampering cottontail rabbits making raids on succulent garden vegetation. …

The Catalina Eddy, a meteorological condition responsible for days-long episodes of dreary, overcast weather over San Diego, is most likely to occur in May and June. This weather pattern, which intensifies our late-spring “June gloom,” …

The Tall Locust Trees planted years ago along Julian’s narrow streets are once again brightening this backcountry (and former gold-rush) town with blossoms of white, pink, and lavender. Introduced into the West by 19th-Century emigrants, …

The glory and the stupidity This is just stupid (“Fires in Alpine, San Felipe Valley, Julian,” From the Archives, February 7). Wildfires suppress animals and kill them. Why would we want to glorify them not …

Blue-Blossoming Jacaranda Trees have already produced a first wave of color along the streets of San Diego. By early or mid-May, warm weather permitting, this Brazilian import could put on a dazzling show. The larger …

Star Jasmine's Sweet Perfume, exuded from clusters of small, white flowers, will continue to scent San Diego's spring breezes until sometime in June. Not a true jasmine, or Jasminum, star jasmine belongs to the genus …

Drinking and kids don’t mix Your cover story for April 8, “There are still tears,” was offensive and racist. The cover depicted two brown children and a woman with her head deep in a giant …

Mustard, a nonnative plant more like a weed than a wildflower, is blooming profusely on grassy slopes all along the coastline of San Diego County. An old story, probably apocryphal, tells of the padres scattering …

Wasting away in foodville With all respect to the article “Can Edco get San Diego to cut food waste in half?” (Cover Stories, March 24) I believe that food waste should not be allowed. The …

Warmer Temperatures and increased humidity coincide with the subtle onset of San Diego's spring season. By April's end, the intermittent showers, Santa Ana winds, cold nights, and crystalclear, sun-drenched days of winter will likely be …

Indian Hawthorn, one of the most common flowering shrubs used in landscaping as hedges and dividers in San Diego, is blooming best right about now. The plant, which has several varieties, covers itself with blossoms …

Bluesman Tomcat Courtney has passed away at the age of 91. Born in 1929, Courtney grew up in Texas, where picking cotton was the family business. As he once told the Reader, “Well, I had …

Blubbo's World "Blubbo, oh Blubbo, where do I begin? You’re dead, gone, laid out rotting in a casket somewhere in the ground; and if that’s just your body, your corpse, your shell, God, I hope …

Crack’s bandage Affordable housing is necessary but it’s a bandage on a cracked wall (“Shrinks’ Paradise,” Under the Radar, March 12). The whole system at the base needs overhaul. Greed, hedonism, over-commercialization, liberal politicians, anti-moral …

Joke’s on State students Is this title a joke (“San Diego State – an elite school,” Cover Stories, August 14)? 69,000 apply for 5,400 spots but offers of admission go to about 24,000 to make …

Detouring Mexican Sewage How about we build a wall/island right on the Tijuana River, that goes 35 miles out to sea and build a military base there (“The sewage that Imperial Beach wants to put …

Mistold taco tale In the article “Every taco tells a tale” (Taco Town, May 16, 2018), writer Chad Deal has El Borrego Restaurant listed as Deleted (no longer in business) caption next to it. As …

Rocker recall Hello this is D. T. Black of the Xterminators. I’m calling in regards to a column called Live Five by Jay Allen Sanford. It was in your May 16 issue on the Dinettes. …